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From Scientific American, December 8, 1894, an interesting view of two buildings: drawings that include both the above-ground portion of the buildings, more or less as you would see them, and the foundations as they could never be seen. The foundations are seen as if the earth had been turned transparent. The image of the […]
6 months ago

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More from Old Structures Engineering

Happy Christmas

I’m not so sure about that vest.

6 months ago 56 votes
Genteel

That’s the Hotel Marlborough at 36th Street and Broadway, shortly after 1900. The hotel opened in 1888 when the entertainment district on Broadway was further south; by the time it was demolished in 1922, that district had moved to Times Square, a few blocks to the north. It’s a story repeated for hundreds of buildings […]

6 months ago 58 votes
Once Again, In Plastic

The restoration of Notre Dame deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon it, but have I mentioned recently that my son and I have built the LEGO Notre Dame? We finished our small Notre Dame about a week after the official opening of the large one, but they had a head start on […]

6 months ago 53 votes
It Looked Familiar: Archetypical

From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A relentless grid and Old-Law tenements.

6 months ago 60 votes

More in architecture

Andrés Duany and Others on the Legacy of Léon Krier

With tributes from Witold Rybczynski, Gerhard W. Mayer, James Howard Kuntsler, and Jeff Speck.

10 hours ago 1 votes
These Apartments Are Like Sculptures You Can Live In

In the heart of Brighton, Melbourne, Wood Marsh has delivered a fresh take on coastal living with Esplanade Brighton, a medium-density housing project that’s bold in form but deeply respectful of its surroundings. Set across a former brownfield site, the development includes 24 townhouses and 11 apartments spread over four distinct buildings, all woven into a lush native garden.

8 hours ago 1 votes
Reading List 06/28/25

Fannie and Freddie’s mortgage blacklist, the air traffic controller shortage, the largest landowners in the US, a blended wing airliner, and more.

2 days ago 3 votes
This Renovated 1960s Apartment Balances Vintage Charm and Modern Precision

Tucked inside a postwar building in Conca D’Oro, a northern neighborhood in Rome defined by dense urban growth and enduring mid-century structures, this apartment project by Italian studio 02A reveals what happens when renovation meets restraint. Housed in a 1960s brick-and-concrete building, the home retains its original layout while embracing a refreshed material language and nuanced spatial interventions.

3 days ago 5 votes
Why Are Homes in Western States So Expensive?

Earlier this month I came across the following graphic, originally posted on Reddit in 2022, showing the state of housing affordability in the US.

4 days ago 6 votes